Patent Grant
11534685
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic games, and more specifically, a gaming system that is implemented in an environment to emulate an electronic game to play in a physical gaming environment by one or more users. Moreover, the aforesaid gaming system implements a set of first rules for compensating at least one element of the gaming system while playing the electronic game in the physical gaming environment.
The gaming industry has experienced an explosive growth during the last few years. Different types of video games have been provided, which provide a gaming environment that enables the player to control a game character or other movable element to perform various stunts or moves during the game. An evolution has occurred starting from the electronic games characterized by limited computational resources and poor graphics to the current gaming trends dominated by virtual reality and augmented reality. The augmented reality includes a meshing of real-life experience with a virtual experience. Although significant developments have been made to immerse the players into the game reality through headsets and other electronic tools, there are still significant limitations to these technologies. One fundamental drawback is the requirement of headsets, which often cause dizziness.
Therefore, there arises a need to address the aforementioned technical drawbacks in existing technologies due to limitations in the movement of the players and requirement of the use of the electronic tools which often cause dizziness or other physical problems while playing the game.
The present disclosure seeks to provide an improved system that, when in operation, emulates an electronic game in a physical gaming environment for enabling at least one user to play the electronic game in the physical gaming environment with the improved user experience.
According to a first aspect, there is provided a gaming system including a computing arrangement that is connected, when in operation, via a data communication network arrangement to an environmental unit and at least one gaming device that is spatially local to the environmental unit, characterized in that the gaming system is implemented in an environment to emulate an electronic game to play in a physical gaming environment by its one or more users, wherein the gaming system is arranged such that:
Optionally, in the gaming system, the processor predefines a set of first parameters for the at least one gaming device and a set of second parameters for the environment unit and wherein the processor enables the set of first parameters, the set of second parameters, the first sensing arrangement and the second sensing arrangement in a standby mode before the electronic game starts.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the second sensing arrangement is implemented in a plurality of zones of the physical gaming environment and wherein each of the plurality of zones comprises at least one sensor that detects a physical parameter of the at least one gaming device or the at least one user to generate the second information.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the set of first rules implement a set of modes from the electronic game into the physical gaming environment.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the processor enforces the set of second rules of the electronic game and monitors a progress of the electronic game to determine a winner of the electronic game.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the second information comprises at least one of a speed, a position or a status of the at least one gaming device.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the first parameter comprises a parameter associated with the at least one element of the gaming system and the element comprises at least one of at least one of speed, gun, shield, power, attack or defense items or rewards.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the second parameter comprises an environmental parameter associated with the physical gaming environment.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the at least one gaming device comprises a display that indicates whether the at least one user has been provided a new element or penalized when the at least one user fell into a trap.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the processor synchronizes the first event and the second event.
Optionally, in the gaming system, the set of first rules are programmable according to the electronic game.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of using a gaming system, the method comprising:
arranging at least one gaming device to include a first sensing arrangement for sensing a first information comprising inputs from at least one user while playing an electronic game and generating at least one first event by processing the first information;
arranging an environmental unit to include a second sensing arrangement for sensing a second information associated with the at least one gaming device while playing the electronic game and generating at least one second event by processing the second information associated with the at least one gaming device, wherein the at least one first event and the at least one second event are provided as input to a computing arrangement; and
arranging the computing arrangement to include a processor that, when in operation, implements a set of first rules to:
According to a third aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware to execute the above method.
According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a gaming system including a computing arrangement for implementing a set of first rules for compensating at least one element of gaming system, characterized in that the computing arrangement comprising:
Optionally, in the gaming system, the set of first rules are programmable according to the electronic game.
It will be appreciated that the aforesaid present method is not merely a “method of playing a game” as such, “software for a computer, as such”, “methods of doing a mental act, as such”, but has a technical effect in that the method employs a gaming system that is implemented in an environment to emulate an electronic game to play in a physical gaming environment by at least one user and functions as a form of technical control for controlling the electronic game while playing; the method involves building an artificially intelligent gaming system to address, for example to solve, the technical problem of emulating the electronic game in the physical gaming environment for playing by the at least one user and compensating at least one element of the gaming system for enabling the at least one user to play the electronic game in the physical gaming environment with the improved user experience.
Further, the compensating the at least one element of the gaming system may cause a hardware reconfiguration of the gaming system, for example selectively switches in additional processor capacity and/or more data memory capacity and/or different types of graphic processor chip, and the hardware reconfiguration or hardware status is regarded as being technical in nature. Thus, to consider the method of the present disclosure to be subject matter that is excluded from patentability would be totally inconsistent with EPO and UKIPO practice in respect of inventions that are technically closely related to embodiments described in the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the present disclosure substantially eliminate or at least partially address the aforementioned existing technologies due to limitations in the movement of the users and requirement of the use of the electronic tools which often cause dizziness or other physical problems while playing the game.
Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure are made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.
It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.
According to a first aspect, there is provided a gaming system including a computing arrangement that is connected, when in operation, via a data communication network arrangement to an environmental unit and at least one gaming device that is spatially local to the environmental unit, characterized in that the gaming system is implemented in an environment to emulate an electronic game to play in a physical gaming environment by its one or more users, wherein the gaming system is arranged such that:
(i) the at least one gaming device includes a first sensing arrangement for sensing a first information comprising inputs from at least user while playing the electronic game and generating at least one first event by processing the first information;
(ii) the environmental unit includes a second sensing arrangement for sensing a second information associated with the at least one gaming device while playing the electronic game and generating at least one second event by processing the second information associated with the at least one gaming device, wherein the at least one first event and the at least one second event are provided as input to the computing arrangement; and
(iii) the computing arrangement including a processor that, when in operation, implements a set of first rules to:
The present gaming system, when in operation, thus emulates the electronic game in the physical gaming environment and enables the at one user to play the electronic game in the physical gaming environment without limiting the movements of the players and/or requiring more electronic tools. The present gaming system thus provides an improved user experience to the at least one user when playing the electronic game in the physical gaming environment. The present gaming system thus implements the set of second rules and elements of the electronic game to recreate the electronic game in the physical gaming environment. The present gaming system thus implements the set of first rules to assign or strength an element (e.g. a tool) of the gaming system when playing, which enables a unique compensation to make the electronic game more competitive or to improve the skills of the at least one user (e.g. a player). The present gaming system may emulate a visual experience and provide it in the real physical gaming environment, and not through a screen, a monitor or an Augmented/virtual reality headset.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least one user may play the electronic game using the at least one gaming device by riding and/or interacting with it. Optionally, the at least one gaming device may be wearable device, for example a wrist watch, which is worn by the at least one user while playing the electronic game. For example, if the electronic game is a running game, the at least one user may wear/carry a device having a speed sensor or a camera which measure a speed at which a user is running. The first sensing arrangement may sense the first information when the at least one user interacts with the at least one gaming device. Optionally, the first sensing arrangement may comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a gesture sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, an actuator etc. In an embodiment, the first sensing arrangement comprises a camera or a smart watch that may be associated with the at least one gaming device for sensing the first information. For example, the first sensing arrangement may sense physical parameter (e.g. a physical motion or an activity) of the at least one gaming device (e.g. while playing kart/car racing games) or the at least one user (e.g. while playing kick boxing) to generate the first information.
The at least one gaming device may comprise a first microprocessor that processes the first information to generate the at least one first event. Optionally, the at least one gaming device comprises a first communication module to communicate the at least one first event to the computing arrangement through the data communication network. The at least one gaming device, without limitation, may be selected from a car, a kart, a two-wheeler, a bicycle, a gun, a locomotive device or any other type of gaming device. In an embodiment, the data communication network is a wired network. In another embodiment, the data communication network is a wireless network.
Optionally, the second sensing arrangement senses the second information associated with the at least one gaming device when the at least one player plays the electronic game in the physical gaming environment using the at least one gaming device. The second sensing arrangement may comprise at least one of a speed sensor, a position sensor, an environment sensor, etc. Optionally, the second sensing arrangement may comprise a plurality of sensors that are implement in a plurality of zones of the physical gaming environment for sensing a speed, a movement, a position of the at least one gaming device, etc.
Optionally, the environmental unit comprises a second microprocessor that generates at least one second event by processing the second information associated with the at least one gaming device. Optionally, the environmental unit comprises a second communication module to communicate the at least one second event to the computing arrangement through the data communication network. The computing arrangement may comprise a third communication module to receive the at least one first event and the at least one second event through the data communication network.
Optionally, the set of first rules comprises compensation rules which are implemented in the gaming system to compensate an element or a tool of the gaming system based on a status of the electronic game to make the electronic game more competitive. The computing arrangement may communicate the commands, using the third communication module, to the at least one gaming device and the environmental unit through the data communication network. The commands may comprise a set of instructions to implement modifications to the first parameter and the second parameter. The computing arrangement, without limitation, may be selected from a mobile phone, a Personal Digital Assistant, a tablet, a desktop computer, a laptop, an electronic notebook or a smartphone.
Further, the compensating the at least one element of the gaming system may cause a hardware reconfiguration of the gaming system, for example selectively switches in additional processor capacity and/or more data memory capacity and/or different types of graphic processor chip, and the hardware reconfiguration or hardware status is regarded as being technical in nature.
According to an embodiment, the processor predefines a set of first parameters for the at least one gaming device and a set of second parameters for the environment unit and wherein the processor enables the set of first parameters, the set of second parameters, the first sensing arrangement and the second sensing arrangement in a standby mode before the electronic game starts.
According to another embodiment, characterized in that the second sensing arrangement is implemented in a plurality of zones of the physical gaming environment and wherein each of the plurality of zones comprises at least one sensor that detects a physical parameter of the at least one gaming device or the at least one user to generate the second information. The physical parameter may comprise a physical motion or an activity of the at least one gaming device or the at least one user across the plurality of zones. For example, in a kart game, the at least one gaming device moves across the plurality of zones and when the at least one gaming device moves from a first zone to a second zone, a speed of the at least one gaming device is calculated based a distance between the first zone and the second zone and a time taken by the at least one gaming device to move from the first zone to the second zone. In virtual reality environment, the physical parameters of the at least one gaming device or the at least one user such as a physical motion or an activity are sensed to control the electronic game. Whereas, in the physical gaming environment, the physical parameters of the at least one gaming device or the at least one user are sensed and commands are generated to modify a parameter of the at least one gaming device, which is completely different from the virtual reality.
According to yet another embodiment, the set of first rules implement a set of modes from the electronic game into the physical gaming environment. The set of modes may comprise a plurality of playing modes or a plurality of playing level of the electronic game.
According to yet another embodiment, the processor enforces the set of second rules of the electronic game and monitors a progress of the electronic game to determine a winner of the electronic game. The set of second rules may comprise one or more rules of the electronic games that need to be implemented/followed while playing.
According to yet another embodiment, the second information comprises at least one of a speed, a position or a status of the at least one gaming device.
According to yet another embodiment, the first parameter comprises a parameter associated with the at least one element of the gaming system and the element comprises at least one of speed, gun, bat, ball, shield, power, attack or defense items or rewards. The parameter associated with the at least one element may comprise at least one of increasing or decreasing a level, a strength, or a force of the at least one element. For example, if the at least one user reaches a partial milestone in the electronic game, additional strength (e.g. the first parameter) may be provided to the at least one gaming device associated with the at least one user to boost up his/her element (e.g. a tool). In an embodiment, the element comprises, but not limited to, a power up to help the at least one user to boost a speed of the at least one gaming device or a reward for solving a puzzle (e.g. a key) to open a door/an element in the physical gaming environment. The at least one element may improve an overall gaming experience of the user and may be used for changing environments conditions while playing the electronic game in the physical gaming environment. In an embodiment, the power of the at least one element diminishes for a period of time when the at least one user is executing the electronic game in certain conditions within the physical gaming environment, based on the second rules of the electronic game.
According to yet another embodiment, the second parameter comprises an environmental parameter associated with the physical gaming environment. The environmental parameter may comprise increasing or reducing an allocated time, enforcing speed zones, reducing or increasing a speed of the at least gaming device with the help of speed zones.
According to yet another embodiment, the at least one gaming device comprises a display that indicates whether the at least one user has been provided a new element or penalized when the at least one user fell into a trap. The display may also indicate a score of the at least one user.
According to yet another embodiment, the processor synchronizes the first event and the second event.
According to yet another embodiment, that the set of first rules are programmable according to the electronic game.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of using a gaming system, the method comprising:
arranging at least one gaming device to include a first sensing arrangement for sensing a first information comprising inputs from at least one user while playing an electronic game and generating at least one first event by processing the first information;
arranging an environmental unit to include a second sensing arrangement for sensing a second information associated with the at least one gaming device while playing the electronic game and generating at least one second event by processing the second information associated with the at least one gaming device, wherein the at least one first event and the at least one second event are provided as input to a computing arrangement; and
arranging the computing arrangement to include a processor that, when in operation, implements a set of first rules to:
The advantages of the present method are thus identical to those disclosed above in connection with the present gaming system and the embodiments listed above in connection with the system apply mutatis mutandis to the method.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware to execute the above method.
The advantages of the present computer program product are thus identical to those disclosed above in connection with the present gaming system and the embodiments listed above in connection with the system apply mutatis mutandis to the computer program product.
According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a gaming system including a computing arrangement for implementing a set of first rules for compensating at least one element of the gaming system, characterized in that the computing arrangement comprising:
a processor that implements a set of first rules, when in operation, to:
According to an embodiment, the set of first rules are programmable according to the electronic game.
The advantages of the above gaming system are thus identical to those disclosed above in connection with the present gaming system and the embodiments listed above in connection with the present gaming system apply mutatis mutandis to the above gaming system.
In an embodiment, the present gaming system may be used for any electronic game to recreate that electronic game in the physical gaming environment. For example, in an electronic game where the objective is to escape from a room, also known as room escape or escape game, which requires a user to escape from imprisonment by exploiting their surroundings. The present gaming system may emulate the electronic game in the physical gaming environment and if the user solves a riddle/problem, the gaming system receives a signal and responds with a compensation for solving the riddle/problem to the user and delivers the next riddle automatically. In an embodiment, the gaming system rewards the user when a particular riddle is solved or penalizes the user if the particular riddle is not solved. The gaming system may modify an element of the environment through the use of pressure sensors which activate a gate located in a floor which delivers a key or “tool” to the user. For example, the elements in a Mario Kart game are: tools, modification of the environment (e.g. increasing or reducing an allocated time).
In an example embodiment, in a shooter game, where the objective is to (i) capture a flag from another team, (ii) kill all the members of the opposite team or (iii) race another team using a map, the gaming system may implement the rules of the game (e.g. the set of second rules) and emulate the game in a physical gaming environment using sensors and a communication network. The gaming system may use sensors to block arms or access gates, detect players in specific zones, detect a running count of shots performed by each user, track hits versus missed hits or track shots received by each user and may automatically enforce the rules of the game. The gaming system may generate game effects like sound explosions, smoke, light effects, etc. with the help of an audio system, a smoke generator and lightings.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may enable the at least one user users to play the electronic game in the physical gaming environment with the improved user experience. Embodiments of the present disclosure may implement the set of second rules and elements of the electronic game to recreate the electronic game in the physical gaming environment. Embodiments of the present disclosure may implement the set of first rules to assign or strength an element (e.g. a tool) of the gaming system when playing, which enables a unique compensation to make the electronic game more competitive.
Modifications to embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/155,445, filed on 9 Oct. 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210154573 A1 | May 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16155445 | Oct 2018 | US |
| Child | 17168433 | US |
